Microsoft Catching Up With Tom Cruise Using “The Surface”

Tom Cruise still has one up on Microsoft, well at least Chief John Anderton does. The actor that shot himself in the foot again and again is also well known for using an in-air computer interface in the movie Minority Report. This futuristic magic, where a user can just move their hands around and things happen, is starting to become a reality.

Microsoft just this week announced a whole new user interface know as “The Surface”. This new 30 inch touch-sensitive table is topped by a computer screen whose surface is monitored by a series of cameras allowing it to see

everything that comes close to the screen. Check out the New York Timesarticle to get more information.

This type of interface will change the face of computing, but it isn’t something new to Microsoft. As I already mentioned, Hollywood has been using this type of technology in the science fiction genre for years, and NYU researcher Jeff Han has been demonstrating this type of technology for more than eighteen months. Too bad Microsoft didn’t mention that in their press releases.

To see a good demo of the table and its use in business visit Popular Mechanics. The Microsoft Surface is truly cool! Too bad John Atherton will have to wait to wave his hands in the air to make things happen.